Officers responded to 1617 Memorial Drive SE on a call for a man attempting to burglarize a building.
ATLANTA — A man allegedly attempting to burglarize a building with a machete was arrested in DeKalb County, the Atlanta Police Department said.
Officers responded to 1617 Memorial Drive SE on a call for a man attempting to burglarize a building. The department released bodycam video of the incident.
While searching the outside of the building, the responding officer was alerted by a witness that the suspect was fleeing on foot.
A chase followed. Eventually, the officer caught up to the suspect and noticed the individual was holding a machete. The officer then deployed his Taser to subdue the suspect but was unsuccessful.
Atlanta Police Officers Arrest Machete-Wielding Prowler
On July 28th, 2023, at approximately 5:08PM, officers responded to 1617 Memorial Drive SE on a call for a male attempting to burglarize a building. Upon arrival, the responding officer searched the outside of the building for the suspect and while doing so, was alerted by a witness that the suspect was fleeing the area on foot.
The responding officer gave chase and once the officer caught up to the suspect, he noticed that the suspect was wielding a machete. The responding officer deployed his Taser to subdue the suspect, however, the Taser was not successful.
The responding officer continued to follow the suspect to a nearby homeless encampment. The suspect attempted to conceal himself inside of his tent but after speaking to officers, dropped the machete and gave himself up. The suspect was placed into custody without issue and was charged with Loitering or Prowling (O.C.G.A. 16-11-36) and Obstruction of an Officer (O.C.G.A. 16-10-24). The suspect was transported to the Dekalb County jail.
Posted by City of Atlanta Police Department on Tuesday, August 1, 2023
According to APD, officers followed the suspect to a nearby homeless encampment where he lived. The suspect then went inside a tent.
At this time, multiple officers had arrived at the scene and were able to de-escalate the situation after speaking to the man, who dropped the machete and turned himself into police.
APD said they charged the man with Loitering or Prowling and Obstruction of an Officer. The suspect was then transported to the DeKalb County jail.
